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Comments
Grammar schools to my knowledge in England are not fee paying but select on achievement. So it was/is entirely possible for working class people to go to grammar school.
For example, we used to have tests in primary school to see if we were eligible for grammar school. Not sure what the criteria was but nobody I ever knew got in.
No idea if this happens now.
I find him extremely unconvincing as military. He's far too fey for Bond.
His dad was a policeman in Stockwell, wasn't he?
Great username, by the way :)
I see. It's just I went to one for a while and pretty much everyone was from a wealthy family. I only got in on a sports scholarship.
I could take or leave Hiddleston personally. I don't think he's too lightweight. Bond should be athletic not bulky.
Yes, most would be wealthy I imagine. But plenty were from normal, WC and lower middle class backgrounds because it was a selective school rather than a private fee paying one.
Roger Moore was from a working class background, but had the persona of a posh boy throughout his career. It’s fairly obvious that his personal persona (whether an act or not) was geared toward being perceived as ‘upper class.’
He’s hardly tough or rough anyhow. He played the toff in real life.
The character of Bond is supposed to be from money, privilege and public school. Not some Council house resident who ‘dragged himself up’.
When I used the word lightweight, I wasn't refering to his actual physical size. I was thinking more about his general presence in a scene - many smaller guys can own a room. Just look at Daniel Craig or Tom Cruise.
Hell, even Peter Dinklage!
Who said it was supposed to be someone from a council house? The idea is, taken from the original casting decision to use Connery, that it is easier and more convincing for someone playing Bond to be masculine and rough around the edges and to make them appear more privileged, than it is to take a fey upper class boy and to make them appear hard.
But just because one is from a rough or poor background. Why does this make them tougher/ more ruthless in a military sense.
A good actor is a good actor. Especially in modern cinema. Personal life outside of acting is irrelevant (as long as it’s not not illegal or immoral). Unless the actor is unconvincing in general.
I was referring only to Cubby and Harry's reasoning for casting Connery. Nobody mentioned poor people or those from a rough background. It was the idea of a rough diamond type. Like Connery. Like Craig. Like Lazenby. Hardy and Fassbender would fall into this type (not saying that they are viable candidates any more).
Back to Hiddleston. I think he's a dreadful choice for this reason.
Each to their own.
I think Hiddleston is a great choice because he is a posh public school toff. This is because this fits the mould of Fleming’s character who isn’t a rough diamond.
Yes I realise what you mean I was referring to someone earlier who said Hiddleston would need to bulk up.
I don't see Bond as a toff at all: if you read the books he's an outsider. He got chucked out of Eton, he wasn't part of the toff set.
Personally I'd get a good actor who's able to play vaguely gentlemanly and tough, rather than get one who is posh and can only play posh and who can't be convincingly tough.
I have no idea of Craig or Dalton's backgrounds but they both seem able to play smooth and classy because they're good actors.
At least the other suggestions (the Turners, Cavill etc.) I could see winning a fight.
Agreed. EON feel the same, it appears.
The character is from privilege. Perhaps ‘toff’ is an exaggeration on my part.
Hiddleston was convincingly tough in The Night Manager. Certainly enough to garner praise and links to the role of Bond from the press.
I don't think so at all, no. I could believe he worked in a hotel, he was fine at that. He's believable at fey prissiness.
As approximately none of the actors to play Bond up until now have been public school toffs or from privileged backgrounds -and many of them have been quite popular- I don't see how it's much of a benefit to be one to play him. Just get an actor to pretend.
I agree 110%
From an interview with Michael Sheen:
That was me and i still believe he needs to bulk up a bit to look a little threatening.
Yes it's certainly a bit of a problem at the moment, so we're left with chinless lead actors like Redmayne, Hiddleston and Cumberbatch rather than a wide variety of types.
Yes, that crossed my mind too. It is a big problem in the industry.
Ultimately as long as the acting is good as Bond I don't mind, but as a wider issue that will impact acting in theatre, TV and film, it is definitely something that affects the industry moving forward.
Well Callum Turner and Jack O'Connell are both from working class backgrounds, and arguably Richard Madden too, so I really don't think it's that clear cut.
It certainly narrows the "pool" of actors, that's for sure. Not just for Bond.
Background shouldn't matter really, but I think it's interesting that a character like Bond has been played mainly (?) by working class actors.
According to Wikipedia, Turner (Callum that is), grew up in Chelsea…? Anyway, this was slightly of topic anyway. Carry on discussing actors!
Fair enough, sorry!
Why is the class background of the actor important? Or said another way: Does Bond have to be portrayed by somebody with a working class background?
Leaving aside the Sheen quote and whether or not working class lads should get more opportunities (they should), how does this pertain to Bond? I never read him as a working class guy. Quite the opposite. He went to Eton and Fettes and grew up around continental Europe learning languages and skiing. He has quite expensive tastes and is at home in high stakes gambling.
Now I agree that I wouldn't want him to be portrayed as an upperclass twit, but where does the working class thing come from?
Do try to bring this back around to topic:
I'm torn on Hiddlestone with the possibility of him being too posh and aloof being the main concern.
Cavill has too many other things going on and I think I wouldn't be able to see him as Bond and not as Superman/Geralt/the dude from MI.
My best idea yet: Tom Hardy with Christopher Nolan directing in a film set during Corona, so they can finish the "Hardy in a Mask"-Trilogy.